The Life and Loves of a House Elf
by Sweethoneytwilight
Summary: Toward the end of the final battle Lord Voldemort had learned of the Malfoys betrayal. He vowed vengeance upon the family as he sent a curse at Draco. Undecided pairing.
1. Dream

The idea of turning Draco into a House elf happened to pop in my head last year, but I never got the time to write it. But this year, I told myself I would do it. I haven't decided on a pairing for it just yet. I'm torn between Hermione/Draco and Astroia/Draco pairing. I always wanted to write a Draco/Astroia story to see how it would turn out. But then Hermione got thrown in my train of thought, I guess because of her sympathy and stuff for House elves kept floating around in my head. I created a poll in my profile you can go to and vote who I should pair Draco with. And also, this is going to be my intake on Blaise's character and background. The are very little information about Blaise and Astroia, but I kind of like it, because there are so many ways I could take this story.

I hope you enjoy it.

%

"You'll pay for this Malfoy!" Voldemort vowed as he aimed his wand at Draco and muttered a curse.

Lucius Malfoy stared in horror as he watched the curse hit his son's chest and the light in Draco's grey eyes faded as he fell to the ground. Draco lay lifeless and stiff. Lucius ran to see to his son, but as soon as he touched Draco's arm, he was replaced by a pile of grey ashes...

%

_What happened? _Draco thought as he placed his hands over his head to stop it from spinning. As his vision cleared, Draco found himself surrounded by darkness and then, all of a sudden, he was blinded by a bright stream of light. Draco covered his face with his hands to shield his sensitive eyes.

"Work!" Draco heard a squeaky voice say before closing what Draco thought were the curtains.

"Wha?" Draco asked, but his only answer was the noisy sound of the crowd from outside.

After his eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting, Draco observed his surroundings once more. It didn't take him to long to realize that he was inside a wooden box.

"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! Kelp! Kelp!" He screamed.

A House elf slidopen one of the walls of the box and asked, "What wrong?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Draco told himself it was only a dream. He pinched his arm to wake himself up, only he didn't wake up - and his arms weren't his arm! The arm was thin, very thin like-like a House elf's! He gazed down at the rest of his body to find his legs were thin and pale, much like his arms, and he was wearing a tea towel. Thinking he was still dreaming, Draco pinched himself even harder, feeling the bones underneath his skin. "NA! NA!" he heard himself groaned from the pain. _Wake up! Wake up! _"Wak sup! Wak sup!" he told himself. Upon hearing the odd sound, Draco stopped talking and blinked. _What?_" Wha?" he listened to himself as he spoke, what's wrong with his voice? Draco turned to the House elf. _Is this a dream? _"Zeam?" he asked the House elf.

The House elf didn't say a word and merely stared at Draco in wonder with its large, round eyes. "You sick?" It finally asked him.

_Is this a dream? _"Zeam?" Draco asked it once more.

"You sick?" It repeated.

Draco shook his head, not listening to the House elf, trying to at least recall what had happened. _I was in Hogwarts - running - was running - find mother and father - and then and then - father! I saw father! And then - Curse! I hit was by a curse! and then - and then..._Draco stared at the House elf in horror as he realized what had happened.

"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Draco screamed as he pushed the House elf out of his way and frantically ran in circles. He'd been transformed into a House elf!

The other House elves stopped what they were doing to look and see what the commotion was. Draco continued to run about until he hit a wall and was knocked unconscious. The House elves stared at the fallen elf for a moment before returning to their daily chores. The House elf, who went to check on him moments ago, walked to where Draco was and dragged him back into his box. Hours later, Draco awoke once more to find himself inside the wooden box.

"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" He screamed as he remembered what had happened and what he was. He began punching and hitting his way out of the box with his new tiny limbs. Stumbling on to the floor, he scrambled to find his way out of the dimly lighted room. "KELP! KELP!" He screamed, until he ran into another solid object, only this time he didn't faint. Draco shook his head and looked up to see what he had run into. They were a pair of shapely legs in white stockings.

%

"Are you all right?" The witch asked the frighten creature as she picked it up. "Poor thing." she said, stroking its large head as it trembled in her arms.

"Ma, Fa." It said, tears flooding its eyes.

"What's the matter?" the witch asked it, feeling her heart ache by the sight of its enormous, liquid gray eyes.

"There you are!" The witch turned her head toward the direction of the person who had called her. "Astoria, what are you doing?"

Draco went stiffed as soon as he heard the familiar name being said. _Astoria? _Draco thought, slowly he looked up to gaze at the witch's face. She had changed over the years, but Draco could still recognize that face anywhere. _Astoria! _He screamed in his head.

"RA - KKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"

"What's wrong with _that thing_?"

"It ran into my leg and fell. Must've spooked it." Astoria said, trying to stop the House elf from screaming and thrashing in her arms.

"KELP! KELP!" Draco screamed.

"Just leave it there - on the floor, someone well see to _it_."

"Daphne, we can't just leave it here."

"Then what do you suppose we do?"

"Take it to the hospital wing."

"Why?"

"It's hurt."

"It doesn't look hurt to_me_."

"It might be internally hurt."

"Why Astoria, I didn't know you were studying to be a Healer."

"Healer? That does sound like a good career. I might keep that in mind, since you already took my first career of choice."

"And what would that be?"

"A spoiled witch, who does nothing but spend what's left of father's money."

"How dare you say that to me!"

"Why are you so upset? I was merely stating a fact. We both know that is your choice of a career."

"I...I suppose..."

"Being rich is not a sin. We were born to live in a life of leisure because of our great grandparent's skill in acquiring wealth. Therefore, Daphne, you should_not_be upset when someone calls you spoiled, since it is a compliment - a praise to our highly skilled and ambitious, Slytherin forefathers."

Draco stared up at the witch, his mouth agape in the same manner as Daphne. After hearing that - that moving? speech, Draco was certain that this witch, holding him, was indeed Astoria Greengrass. _Leave__ it to Astroia to insult her sister and then lead her to believe it was a compliment. She hasn't changed the lease bit - still a cunning little Harpy!_

"You are so right!" Daphne said to her sister.

Draco turned to Daphne and rolled his eyes. _It __seemed as though__ someone else __hadn't__ changed as well. _He could not believe Daphne was still falling for her devious sister's tricks.

Astoria noticed that the House elf was all right and placed it back on the floor. "Be careful next time, little guy." she said, patting his head before she left with her sister.

Draco stared at the witches as they stride away and fell on to the floor in a faint.

"Oh! You poor thing!" Hermione gasped as she picked up the small House elf and carried it to the hospital wing.

After she explained to the school nurse that she had found the little elf unconscious on the floor, Hermione left for her head girl meeting, with promises of returning.

Draco groaned as he opened his eyes and observed his surroundings. _I'm in the hospital wing! It was all a dream - I'm not a House elf! _Draco breathed a sigh of relief.

"Madam how is..." Since Hermione didn't know the House elf's name, she didn't know what to call it or what his or her gender is for a matter of fact.

"_He,_" Madam Pomfrey informed her, "is all right. He only has some minor trauma from when he fall and hit his head."

Hermione smiled and pulled the curtain back so she could see him. "Hey there." she greeted him.

_What's Granger doing here?_


	2. Lice

"How are you?" Hermione asked.

The House elf didn't answer her and had a very odd expression on his face – well, odd to Hermione at least.

"Are you feeling better?"

_What does Granger want?_

"Ger?" Draco shut his mouth as he heard the odd sound. _What was that?_ he wondered as he curiously looked left and right. When he spotted a House elf nearby, he ordered it to bring him breakfast. But it seemed as though that House elf didn't hear him, and was mocking him by imitating his movements.

Hermione stared at the creature, bemused. She followed his line of vision and noticed he was staring at a silver platter reflecting his reflection.

_Insufferable creature! Who does it think it is? Mocking me?_

Hermione arched her brow, she looked at the House elf and then back at the platter. The House elf appeared to be angry at its reflection for some reason._ Oh no! The poor thing. He's gone mental from the fall!_

Draco's breath became ragged. He would order that disobedient House elf to put its head in the oven!

"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione shouted, "Come quick!"

The Healer pushed the curtain aside and asked what was wrong. Hermione informed Madam Pomfrey of her observation and her theory. The Healer quickly went to work.

Astoria entered the hospital wing in order to pick up her allergy potion. She had a rare allergic reaction to raw tomatoes, which cause her to develop a terrible cough. The witch was able to eat processed tomatoes such as ketchup and soups, but could not eat them raw. As if she would ever eat them raw. She tried it once, a few years ago, and never wanted to do it ever again. But her mother wanted to be cautious and ordered her to drink her potion monthly. Because she didn't have to eat the fruit to ensure an allergic reaction, if Astoria made skin contact with it, hives would quickly develop on the area it touched.

"Hello. Is anyone here?" Astoria asked.

Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtain aside as she looked to see who had entered. She nodded at Astoria and closed the curtain behind her. The Healer walked to her storage, took the vial from the shelf and handed it to her. Astoria thanked Healer and was about to leave but stopped the moment she spotted a House elf as the Healer pulled the curtain aside. There was something familiar about it. Her curiosity got the better of her, and instead of leaving she headed toward the closed curtain.

"Excuse me." Astoria said as she pushed the curtain aside.

"RA?" The House elf screamed as he backed away.

"Yes, dear." Madam Pomfrey said softly, "Anything else I can help you with?"

"No, but..." Astoria voice trailed as she examined the House elf. "Is it all right?" she gestured toward the trembling creature. For some reason its large gray eyes were watering at the sight of the witch.

"I found him unconscious on the floor." Hermione hesitatingly said, when she saw that the witch was a Slytherin.

Hermione glanced at the witch and then the shaking House elf.

"In the corridor, next to the portrait of fruits?" Astoria asked.

"Yes." Hermione answered, eying the witch suspiciously.

Astoria sadly gazed down at the House elf. "Is he all right?" she said as she stepped closer, "I meant to bring it here, but it didn't appeared injured - it bumped into me and fell rather hard on to the floor." she answered their bemused faces.

"He was _unconscious_ on the floor, when I found him." Hermione scolded the younger witch, upset at her for leaving him in that state. "You should have brought him here - right away."

"I planned too," Astoria tried to explain, "but he was fine, last I saw. A bit shaken, yes, but not this bad."

Hermione took deep breaths and counted to ten. She told herself to remain calm - she was not Ron after all. After Hermione finished counting, she studied the younger witch and saw that for a Slytherin - she appeared rather remorseful.

"I'm sorry." Astoria said to the House elf, much to Hermione's surprise.

Draco was still shaking in fright. If Astoria was here that meant the dream he had - him being a House elf - was real - he was a House elf!

"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Draco screamed, falling on his back, kicking and punching the bed.

The two young witches stared at the tearing House elf as Madam Pomfrey took out her wand. With a flick of her wrist, the House elf was asleep. Madam Pomfrey told the witches that he needed some rest and asked them to leave, since it was very late.

%

Astoria returned to the hospital wing to check on the House elf the next morning. He was still trembling in fear at the sight of her and screaming bloody murder. In the end, she had to bid Madam Pomfrey good day and left for breakfast.

"Where were you?" asked Daphne as soon as she saw her sister.

"In the hospital wing." Astoria replied.

"Oh." Daphne assumed Astoria was there to pick up her monthly potion for her allergies. "Com' here," she said pulling her sister with her into a dark alcove.

Astoria arched her brow, curious at Daphne's actions. "What's the matter?"

"Shh." Daphne silenced her sister as she made sure no one could hear them, "If anyone asks, say that your mum is my mum. Got it?"

"Okay." Astoria agreed.

In truth, Daphne and Astoria are half sisters with different mothers. Their father had an arranged marriage to Daphne's mother but divorced her. A few months later he moved to the states and married Astoria's mother, taking Daphne with him. For the first half of her life, Daphne didn't know her biological mother, even when the family went to visit their relatives during the holidays in England. Then one day her real mother showed up, claiming that she wanted her daughter back. Their father refused, but her mother stood her ground and tried to drag Daphne to the floo. She even called the authorities and screamed to them that he was an unfaithful and cold-hearted wizard, by refusing to let her see her own daughter. They went to trail and got joint custody. Daphne had to stay with her mother for one week and her father the next. During her weekly visits, Daphne learned that her mother only wanted her as leverage over her father so he would send her money. Apparently, her mother's family went bankrupt and it was then that she remembered she had a daughter she could use.

"Good." Daphne nodded.

With Astoria's confirmation, everyone will believe it. It wasn't like her real mother had actually acknowledged her and gave her much attention. She was just another object in the house. She couldn't count how many times, she would secretly floo to her father's house and played with Astoria, when she was suppose to be with her mother. They played together every day, until Daphne had to start Hogwarts, and they had to owled each other on weekends.

"I can't believe dad made me come back." Daphne whispered to her sister, for the millionth time, as they made their way to the Great Hall. "Now I have to take my classes again."

"It's either that or get a job." Astoria repeated their father's words at the beginning of the school year.

Daphne ignored Astoria's comment as she does when their father said them and continued her ranting, "I could've finished school last year, but no! We just _had_ to have a war."

"War was inevitable." Astoria stated, though she didn't know the actual details to prove her statement, having recently moved from the states. But was repeating what their father had said.

"A travesty, it was." Daphne said, "I was so traumatized by the horrible events that my beautiful hair has lost its shine." She held up strands of her hair for her sister to see.

Astoria examined the strands of hair and didn't see anything wrong with them, but humored her sister anyways.

"Oh! You poor dear." She gasped.

"Isn't it just awful!" Daphne exclaimed as she took her seat in the Slytherin's table.

"What's awful?" Pansy curiously asked.

"My hair." Daphne replied.

"Well now that you mention it." Millicent Bulstrode butted in. "It's quite dull and lifeless. Oh! And you've seemed to have gained a few." she ended by scratching her head.

Daphne glared at Millicent for saying such a thing and was going to give her a nasty retort about her uncontrollable weight, but Astoria beat her to it.

"Daphne has never looked better." Astoria stated, "And her hair is absolutely stunning." She said as she ran her fingers through her sister's hair.

Daphne straightened her posture and smirked at her sister's praise. The witches at the table made sour faces and began whispering. Astoria continued on with her breakfast, then suddenly she shirked and jumped off her seat.

"What's the matter?" Daphne asked, worried that someone had hexed her under the table. The witches at her table are always jealous of the pretty new girls, and pull horrible pranks on them.

"Look there!" Astoria shouted in a frighten voice, pointing at a dark little spot on the floor.

"What? What is it?" Daphne demanded._ If anyone dares hex my sister..._

"Oh! It's was just a little ball of hair." Astoria said, sighing in relief.

"What did you think it was?" Daphne asked.

"Lice."

"Lice?" repeated Pansy. "What is that?" She was confused and curious, as were the others around their table.

"Nasty little critters." Astoria said in a low voice as she cautiously sat back down. "They latch onto your head, sucking on your blood until you're completely dry, making your hair fall off. One strand at a time."

The Slytherin witches gasped, cupping their hair. The thought of being bald truly terrified them as did having bad skin.

"When I attended the Salem Witches' Academy last year, our Care of Magical Creatures told us about it." Astoria voice began to shake, "They cannot hop, fly or swim. But remain on the hair of a person, their hats, robes, sheets - anything that the person laid their head on."

The table was silent as they anxiously waited for her to speak with anticipation.

"The creature has six legs, the size of a sesame seed, and is tan to greyish-white. But they are known to turn darker over time as they blend into the color of your hair."

"How can you tell when someone has it?" A follow Slytherin asked her.

"When the lice bites you, it makes you itch. Whoever has it, is constantly scratching their head or any areas with hair."

"Scratching?" Pansy said, her head and many others were slowly turning toward Millicent, who was unknowingly scratching her head.

The Slytherin witches stared in horror for a few moments before they began to scream, pulling away from the witch with fright and clucking the hairs on their heads. Soon rumors were spreading that there was an epidemic of lice going around the school that had originated from Millicent Bulstrode. The witch and a few others had to be escorted out of the Great Hall by Madam Pomfrey, with everyone snickering and whispering as they walked out.

"Only your second day at school and you've already got ridden of your dorm mate." Daphne whispered to Astoria.

Due to irregular numbers in Slytherin's dorm room, some seventh years students had to share their rooms with those of lesser years. By sheer luck, Astoria was paired with Millicent instead of her sister like they both wished.

"I don't mind her loud snores," Astoria whispered back with a smirk, "but she dared to insult my favorite sister."

Daphne smiled at her words and playfully pushed her shoulder, "I'm your only sister." she giggled.

Blaise watched as the sisters shared a laugh, paying particular attention to the Astoria. The wizard had witnessed the fire blazing in Astoria's eyes when she heard what Millicent had said about Daphne. He also saw her pulled off a strand of her own hair, crumpled it into a ball and dropping it on the floor. Obviously, to Blaise, the whole show was a ploy to get back at Bulstrode for insulting her sister. Blaise chuckled to himself._ She hasn't changed one bit._


	3. Doll

As Hermione entered the Hospital wing to visit the ill House elf, she saw Madame Pomfrey enter the room with a few students marching behind her. Curious, Hermione went to investigate. She asked one of the students, a first year boy, what had happened and he answered with one word.

"Lice."

"Lice?" repeated Hermione,

"I'm not certain if I have them, but I wanted to just check."

"Oh? All the rest of you think you might have them too?"

The crowd responded in a chorus of yes. Hermione was about to return to the House elf when she heard a student say something that stopped her.

"I don't know what I'll do if the lice ate all my hair."

"Excuse me," said Hermione, "what do you mean?"

"I was talking about the lice." said the little Ravenclaw. "They suck your blood dry and eat your hair."

"You're smart, Head girl," said a Gryffindor, which had Hermione blushing. "Can you tell us more about lice?"

"Yes, tell us how to prevent them."

"Tell us all about them."

"Lice," began Hermione, completely in her element of being informative, "are tiny parasitic insects that feedoff a host. They eat the skin –" the students' squealed at this, – "and other debris found on the host's body, but some species feed on sebaceous secretions and blood. Humans host three different kinds of lice."

The students stared at a Hermione in silent horror.

"You mean they – they're different kinds?"

"Yes," said Hermione, "head lice, body lice, and pubic lice –"

Most of the students involuntary crossed their legs while some clutched their hair and the rest hugged their body as Hermione continued her speech. As soon as the students saw Madame Pomfrey they ran to her, begging and pleading for help.

%

Astoria flipped through her book and found the page number she needed. She understood Professor Binn's instructions but she found it difficult to keep up with his lectures. His voice was so boring and dull, which was beginning to put her to sleep. She glanced around her at the other sleeping students and sighed. Daphne was right; history of magic was the most boring class ever. For the sake of her marks, Astoria pinched her arm to stay awake and take notes. But as time went by, her handwritingbecame large and irregular and her vision blurred. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep with the rest of her class. She awoke when the bell chimed and nearly fell off her seat from the sudden loud noise. While she yawned and stretched, she found the parchment she was writing her notes on stuck to her face. She pulled it off and gathered her books for her next class.

As she walked through the halls and corridors, Astoria couldn't help but notice a few students pointing at her and giggling. She continued to walk, wondering what they were laughing about. A voice in her head told her that they were laughing at her. She supposed someone must have hexed her while she slept. Walking faster, Astoria tried to make it to the bathroom to see what it was. She tripped on her feet and fell into someone's arms.

"Hey! Watch where yo - Are you all right?" ask boy in red asked, in a seductive tone as soon as he realized she was a girl. A cute girl at that.

"I'm fine." Said Astoria, getting back on her feet.

"Hmm… Do you know you have ink on your face?" he asked.

Astoria ran her hands over her face and saw the black ink on her fingertips. Getting her compact out, she saw that there were words on her face. That was when she remembered that she fell asleep on her notes and a parchment was stuck on her face when she woke up.

"Let me guess, you just left Binns class?" the boy stated rather than asked.

"How did you know?"

"You're not the only one that's happened too." He laughed and properly introduced himself. "I'm Cormac McLaggen."

"Astoria Greengrass." She shook his hand.

%

Blaise wanted to hex himself. He had purposely used a charm to cause Astoria to trip and fall into his arms. They would rekindle their friendship from childhood and become lovers, just as he had always dreamed. Blaise tightened his grip on his wand. Instead of falling into his arms, Astoria fell into McLaggen's. Being in Gryffindor was not the only fault of McLaggen's, but he was the most self-absorbed and arrogant prat anyone ever had the misfortune of meeting. He was only second to Draco. Blaise knew it was not right to speak ill of the dead, but he had his rights. Draco was an awful bully when they were kids, and prompted the others to bully him too. It was one of the reasons why Blaise decided to become a loner when he started Hogwarts. He would sit in the background and people watch. The more he, saw the more he believed his decision was a good one. Everyone was so fake, all wearing masks of deceit. It was disgusting.

The corners of his lips curled when he saw Daphne strolling down the other side of the corridor. He made his way to her as a plan to separate Astoria and McLaggen began concocting in his head. He would have let McLaggen chase Astoria away himself, but Blaise thought it was not quick enough.

"Daphne..."

%

Daphne marched down the rest of the corridors, without stopping she wordlessly pulled Astoria from where she was talking to Cormac. Astoria was startled by the suddenly pull of her arm but relaxed when she saw that it was Daphne. While she was being dragged away, Astoria could not help but wonder when Daphne was going to stop treating her like a doll. It was fun when they were kids, since Astoria did not know any better at the time, but the whole doll thing was only happening because their father told Daphne that Astoria was her own living doll to love and protect. He told Astoria this to prevent her from being jealous when her little sister was born. Even after all these years, Astoria was certain that Daphne still believed it.

"Why are you talking to Gryffindors?" Daphne demanded after she dragged her sister into the girls' bathroom and made sure no one else was there.

"Word travels fast." She said sarcastically.

"Astoria, you need to stop talking those Gryffindors." she told her, "I told you! It will be bad for our reputation. The other Slytherins will eat us alive!"

"You are over exaggerating."

"No I am not. You -" Daphne pointed at her, "-need to stay away from them. I mean it." She pressed her bottom lip out and made her eyes watery. "Please…" It was a look that would always won Astoria over.

Astoria sighed, "Does it really mean that much to you if I did?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Astoria said. She swore all this house stuff was a cover for causing prejudices among the students. As if the wealthy and poor system was not enough. "I will not talk to anymore Gryffindors."

"Gryffindorks," Daphne corrected her.

"I will not talk to anymore Gryffindorks," Astoria lazily repeated. "There, happy?"

"Absolutely!" Daphne cheered and hugged Astoria. "You are such a good girl." She petted her head. "Later let's go braid your pretty hair."

Astoria wrinkled her nose and turned to her sister, "Daphne, I am not a doll." she said, but thought it over and decided that she did wanted her hair braided, "Yet, until you do my hair, and nails." she added.

%

Draco sat on his the bed, hugging his knees, and rocking back and forth._This can't be happening! This can't be happening!_He kept chanting in his head._Mother! Father! I need to find mother and father!_He sprang on to his feet and tripped half way to the door. Picking himself back up, Draco made it through the threshold of the hospital wing. As he made his way out, he could not shake the feeling of something heavy on his shoulders. He ignored it, think he was only imagining things. He looked around, made it out of the hospital wing and ran toward the entrance. When he reached the large doors he realized that he could not open it. He kicked it with his tiny feet and punched it with his tiny fist but it would not budge. Tired and bruised from assaulting the large wooden door he fell on to the floor and sobbed.

"MA! FA!" he cried for he was trapped.


End file.
